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Thursday, June 6, 2013

A Cog in the Wheel

The world is a complex, interconnected place. That’s
especially true when we start to think about elk, wolves, bears the lands that
are necessary to sustain abundant wildlife populations and our ability as hunters
and anglers to access them. Human
nature, on the other hand, is remarkably simple. We look for the easiest
answers, usually the ones that fill our preconceived notions of what’s
happening.

Take elk for example. A recent
study published in Ecology magazine shows that early green up on
traditional elk migration routes is leading to less calf production in the
Clarks Fork herd of Wyoming. Add a mess of two and four-legged critters,
fragmented habitats and persistent drought into the mix and you can see why elk
are having a tough time in some areas.

The study also showed that Elk that select to stay in one
place rather than migrate are doing much better. Anecdotally, we can see this
in Montana. Elk in the Central and Eastern part of the state that browse on
irrigated cropland are exploding, elk in the western part of the state are
seeing declines in some areas.

In the West
Fork of the Bitterroot, we all assumed that wolves were the most limiting
factor when it came to elk recruitment. Turns out we were all wrong. It’s a
complex mix of toothy critters, folks with rifles and habitat issues. A suite
of changes in the West Fork is leading to increased numbers of calves, just as
a large fire in Idaho may have moved a bunch of elk over into the Treasure
state.

It’s never simple and wildlife management is never easy.
That’s why we fight for the programs instituted to help ensure wildlife populations
remain abundant. Two programs in particular are critical in Montana for habitat
conservation and access.

The Land & Water
Conservation Fund has increased public access to public land, added more
public land to the inventory of federal & state owned lands and helped provide
landowners with the needed tools to keep their spreads from turning into
subdivisions. LWCF has brought us places like Mount Hagen Wildlife Management
Area as well as hundreds of fishing access sites across the state.

Likewise, Habitat
Montana is a similar program but focused at the state level. Run by the
Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and utilizing hunter license dollars and
federal funds, wildlife managers have been able to use Habitat Montana to
increase public access to private land through conservation easements as well
as purchase remarkable properties like the Marias River WMA.

Together, these two programs help ensure not only abundant
access, but abundant wildlife habitat. We don’t get one without the other, and
that’s a good thing. Sometimes we get caught up in the fight to maintain
access. When that happens, folks who want to erode the bond between hunters
& anglers and conservation swoop in to try and pry us from the land.

We’re
told to choose between habitat conservation and access. That’s not right, and
it’s going backwards from where we’re at now.

As we fix leaks in our rafts, watch the salmonflies start to
pop and see the brand new baby elk, moose and deer down on the river bottoms,
it’s important to remember that these programs help ensure a future full of
wildlife and our ability to continue to access these vital grounds.